The Skeletal System: The Framework of Our Bodies

A couple weeks have come and gone in the beautiful world of anatomy and students all over BYU have learned over 240 bones in the body. Wow that's a lot!!! Now the trick is, how do I remember all of these bones in preparation for the midterm? Well here is the trick...open lab, open lab and more open lab. It may seem tedious but that is the trick. As you go into the future weeks take some time to review the bones so they are sharp in your head. You will be much happier with your test results too! Lets not forget your mnemonic devices!!! You have been taught many ways in which to master all these bumps and holes that we call bones in the body. One of my personal favorites is the cowboy story, which is used to specify all those hard holes in the skull. For a refresher, here is how it works:

THE COWBOY STORY

Let's call our cowboy Turk (he sits on the SELLA TURCICA)
He will throw his lasso down the sides of his saddle (FORAMEN LACERUM)
He will look out through the OPTIC FORAMEN
He will look out over the valley to watch over his cattle (FORAMEN OVALE)
And it will be over that valley that he will round them up (FORAMEN ROTUNDUM)
For healthy snack he will take out a carrot which is behind his lasso (CAROTID CANAL)
And for a treat he will take out his jelly beans (JUGULAR FORAMEN)
At the end of a long days work he will spit and shine his shoes (FORAMEN SPINOSUM)

So there you have the bulk of all those mysterious holes in the skull. As you remember the cowboy story I guarantee you will never go wrong!!

Here are some other mnemonic devices you can use to review other bones:

1. Cervical Vertebrae: the anteater; only vertebrae with transverse foreman
2. Thoracic Vertebrae: the giraffe; vertebrae with the costal facet and demifacet
3. Lumbar Vertebrae: the moose; bulkiest members of the vertebrae with articular processes facing towards each other
**To remember how much of each vertebrae we have just think of the times you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. (7, 12 and 5)

4. Hand bones: Sally Left The Party To Take Clark Home

5. Foot Bones: Cal can Tell us about Cute boys in Navy Uniforms

Here are some ways to distinguish left and right bones:

6. Clavicle: Just think Connie down in the outback
7. Radius: Use the fist test
8. Ulna: Look for the radial notch and make sure it is facing laterally
9. Os Coxa: Use the phone test; if you can talk into it, you've got it on the right side!!
10. Patella: Lay it flat on the table with apex pointing away from you and look to which side it is leaning.
11. Tibia: Look for the medial malleolus and make sure it is MEDIAL.
12. Fibula: Use the walking test or my personal favorite the race care test

More fun and games to come!! Keep studying hard and in my future posts, I will include practice tests questions for the lecture portion of the anatomy class. Now here are your bone facts of the day...

**Humans are born with 300 bones in their body, however when a person reaches adulthood they only have 206 bones. This occurs because many of them join together to make a single bone...also your femur bone is stronger than concrete!!!

Happy Studying!!!!